US embassy cable - 05PARIS749

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 000749 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY (FRANK); BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; 
AF/PA; EUR/WE (DEBORAH MENNUTI)/P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA 
(BERBENA); INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE 
HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA 
(ANN LUZZATO); USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA; ROME/PA; 
BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - SECRETARY RICE VISIT TO 
FRANCE - IRAQI ELECTION RESULTS 
PARIS - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 07, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
  1.   SECRETARY RICE VISIT TO FRANCE 
2.   IRAQI ELECTION RESULTS 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
WHILE DOMESTIC SOCIAL ISSUES DOMINATE THE FRONT PAGES OF 
TODAY'S PRESS, LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION'S FRONT PAGE CARRIES 
THE HEADLINE "PARIS AND WASHINGTON MAKE UP" ON THE EVE OF 
SECRETARY RICE'S VISIT TO PARIS. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
COMMENTATORS NOTE THAT THE CHOICE OF PARIS FOR THE SECRETARY'S 
SPEECH MARKS A DESIRE TO RENEW TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONS AND 
THAT HER VISIT TO EUROPE REPRESENTS PRESIDENT BUSH'S OVERTURE 
TO "OLD EUROPE." (SEE PART C) 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION CARRIES AN INTERVIEW OF FRENCH 
FOREIGN MINISTER MICHEL BARNIER IN WHICH HE CALLS FOR A 
RENEWED DIALOGUE WITH THE U.S.: "JUST ONE MONTH AFTER BEING RE- 
ELECTED PRESIDENT BUSH WILL BE IN EUROPE WHERE CONDOLEEZZA 
RICE IS ALSO TOURING. THESE ARE CLEAR SIGNS. THE QUESTION IS 
NOT WHAT CAN THE U.S. DO FOR EUROPE OR WHAT CAN EUROPE DO FOR 
THE U.S., THE QUESTION IS WHAT CAN WE DO TOGETHER." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION'S WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT PASCAL 
RICHE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WHILE THE "EU WAS IGNORED DURING BUSH 1, 
IT IS BEGINNING TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A POLITICAL FORCE DURING 
BUSH 2" IN A REPORT ENTITLED: "THE EU HAILED AS A PARTNER." 
"THERE IS NO LONGER TALK OF PUNISHING FRANCE, IGNORING GERMANY 
AND FORGIVING RUSSIA. TODAY CONDOLEEZZA RICE PROMISES A 
RENEWED DIALOGUE AND AT THE WHITE HOUSE BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS 
ARE NOW REGULARLY ORGANIZED WITH THE AMBASSADORS OF ALLIED 
COUNTRIES. THE EUROPEANS REMAIN SKEPTICAL AND WONDER IF THESE 
SESSIONS WILL BE SPENT BEING ABLE TO GIVE THEIR ADVICE OR 
HAVING U.S. POLICY EXPLAINED TO THEM." 
 
THE HUDSON INSTITUTE'S LAURENT MURAWIEC CONSIDERS THE SECOND 
BUSH ADMINISTRATION IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO: "THE FIRST 
BUSH ADMINISTRATION ADVANCED CRAB-LIKE TOWARDS OBJECTIVES THAT 
BECAME CLEARER OVER TIME. THE SECOND ADMINISTRATION WILL 
DOUBTLESS PROCEED IN THE SAME ZIGZAG WAY. BUT TOWARDS WHAT? 
THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN." 
 
ANTOINE BASBOUS, DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY FOR ARAB 
COUNTRIES, PENS AN OP-ED IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO IN WHICH 
HE ANALYZES SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ELECTIONS IN IRAQ 
AND THE PROJECT TO DEMOCRATIZE THE MIDDLE EAST. "THE 
TEMPERANCE OF THE SHIITE LEADERS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED BY 
WASHINGTON WHICH HAS NO INTEREST IN SEEING A COPY OF THE 
MULLAH-STYLE GOVERNMENT THAT EXISTS IN IRAN APPLIED TO IRAQ. 
THE SUNNIS NEED TO BE GIVEN THE FEELING THAT THEY ARE NOT 
BEING EXCLUDED FROM THE POLITICAL SCENE. UP TO NOW, THE 
SHIITES WERE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT THERE WAS 
A CERTAIN CONVERGENCE IN THE POLICIES FORMULATED BY THE U.S. 
AND BY IRAN. TODAY, HOWEVER, THESE TWO COUNTRIES' INTERESTS 
DIVERGE AND EACH WILL DEFEND `ITS' SHIITES." (SEE PART C) 
 
THE ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE, NISSIM ZVILI, SIGNS AN OP-ED 
IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION TODAY ON THE CONFERENCE IN SHARM 
EL SHEIK. "IT WILL TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF WILLPOWER AND COURAGE 
ON THE PART OF THE ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS TO MOVE 
TOWARDS POSITIVE CHANGE AND TO AVOID A SITUATION OF CHAOS." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
SECRETARY RICE VISIT TO FRANCE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
"FAMILY FEUD" 
GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (02/07): "REALITY, 
AS SAD AS IT HAS OFTEN BEEN OF LATE, HAS HAD A GREAT PART TO 
PLAY IN PUTTING THE PIECES OF THE TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP 
BACK TOGETHER. THE INTERVENTION IN IRAQ MAY NOT HAVE TURNED 
OUT EXACTLY AS THE AMERICANS HAD HOPED. BUT THE SUCCESS OF THE 
ELECTIONS HAS SERVED TO CONVINCE THE STAUNCHEST ANTI-BUSH 
EUROPEANS, STARTING WITH THE FRENCH, THAT THEIR BOYCOTT OF THE 
PROCESS WAS IN VAIN. BUT EVEN IF THE FAMILY FEUD ENDS, WE 
SHOULD GUARD OURSELVES FROM SENTIMENTALITY AFTER HAVING BEEN 
OVER-DRAMATIC FOR SO LONG. A SMILING MISS RICE WILL BE IN 
PARIS LIKE A DOVE OF PEACE. BUT WAS THERE EVER REALLY A WAR 
BETWEEN US?" 
 
"FEBRUARY 8" 
BERNARD GUETTA TOLD LISTENERS THIS MORNING ON STATE-RUN FRANCE 
INTER RADIO: "TOMORROW WILL BE AN IMPORTANT DAY. WHILE THE 
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFERENCE WILL BE TAKING PLACE IN SHARM 
EL SHEIK, CONDOLEEZZA RICE WILL BE IN FRANCE. SHE WILL GIVE A 
SPEECH THAT WE ALREADY KNOW WILL FOCUS ON RENEWING TRANS- 
ATLANTIC RELATIONS. THE VERY FACT THAT SHE CHOSE PARIS FOR 
THIS SPEECH MARKS A DESIRE TO RENEW WITH "OLD EUROPE" AND THE 
FACT THAT THESE TWO EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE THE SAME DAY 
HIGHLIGHTS THAT IT IS NOT JUST IN THE MIDDLE EAST THAT 
RELATIONS ARE CHANGING. INDEED, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN 
EUROPE AND THE U.S. IS ALSO EVOLVING. EVEN IF THE U.S. HAS NOT 
ADOPTED THE IDEA OF MULTILATERLAISM, IT HAS COME TO THE 
REALIZATION THAT IT HAS NEVER BEEN SO UNPOPULAR AS TODAY. AND 
NOT JUST IN THE ARAB WORLD. AMERICA'S IMAGE HAS SUFFERED AND 
ITS IMAGE IS AS IMPORTANT AS ITS MILITARY MIGHT. GEORGE W. 
BUSH HAS DECIDED TO SOFTEN THE EDGES AND HOLD OUT A 
CONCILIATORY HAND." 
 
"ITS YOUR TURN AT BAT MS. RICE" 
GILLES DELAFON IN HIS WEEKLY EDITORIAL IN THE SUNDAY PAPER LE 
JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE (02/6): "TUESDAY, CONDOLEEZZA RICE WILL BE 
IN FRANCE AND SHE HAS CHOSEN PARIS TO GIVE THE KEY SPEECH OF 
HER TRIP. WE CAN BUT PRAISE THIS DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE, EVEN 
IF FUNDAMENTALLY, THERE ARE STILL A NUMBER OF ISSUES TO 
SETTLE. FRANCE AND EUROPE NOW HAVE TO SEIZE THE HAND THAT IS 
BEING HELD OUT TO THEM. THE HAND OF GEORGE BUSH, WHO AFTER THE 
ELECTIONS IN IRAQ PERSONALLY CALLED JACQUES CHIRAC TO THANK 
HIM FOR HIS SUPPORT AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, 
OLD HABITS DIE HARD. SHE HAD BARELY LANDED IN EUROPE WHEN 
CONDOLEEZZA RICE LAUNCHED INTO A VIOLENT DIATRIBE AGAINST IRAN 
JUST AT A TIME WHEN LONDON, PARIS AND BERLIN ARE ATTEMPTING TO 
NEGOTIATE WITH TEHERAN TO PUT A STOP TO ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM. 
MS. RICE WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE EFFICIENCY OF 
REALPOLITIK AND HAPHAZARD IDEOLOGY. BECAUSE OF HER PRIVILEGED 
RELATIONSHIP WITH GEORGE BUSH, SHE HAS ALL OF THE CARDS IN HER 
HAND." 
 
"THE PIANIST OF BUSH 2" 
JEAN-CLAUDE KIEFER EDITORIALIZES IN REGIONAL DAILY DERNIERES 
NOUVELLES D'ALSACE (02/07): "HENCEFORTH, THE DEPARTMENT OF 
STATE HAS GONE BACK TO ITS REAL PURPOSE. NOT TO EXPLAIN THE 
REASONS FOR A WAR, BUT TO RESOLVE CRISES, PREFERABLY BEFORE 
THEY DEGENERATE. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS WASHINGTON'S RENEWED 
INVOLVEMENT IN THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT. AS FOR THE 
RELATIONSHIP WITH "OLD EUROPE," THE EU IS NOT IN A POSITION TO 
CHALLENGE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP BUT WOULD SIMPLY APPRECIATE IT 
BEING MORE DISCREET, MORE RESPECTFUL AND. FRIENDLIER. THIS IS 
THE NOT SO SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE THAT BERLIN, PARIS AND EVEN 
ANKARA ARE TRYING TO PASS ON TO CONDOLEEZZA RICE, AND BY 
EXTENSION TO GEORGE W. BUSH." 
 
IRAQI ELECTION RESULTS 
 
"IRAQ: MASTERING THE SHIITE VICTORY, PREVENTING A BREAK-UP" 
ANTOINE BASBOUS IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/07): THE 
ELECTIONS IN IRAQ CAN GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE 
DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST IS IN MOTION AND 
THAT MILITARY FORCE CAN SERVE TO ACCELERATE A PROCESS THAT 
TOOK CENTURIES TO DEVELOP IN THE WEST. IN THE EVENT THAT THE 
SHIITES EXERCISE AN ALL-OUT HEGEMONY IN BAGHDAD DUE TO THEIR 
MAJORITY IN NUMBERS, THE `DEMOCRATIC MODEL' THAT IRAQ WAS 
INTENDED TO BE WOULD TURN INTO AN ANTI-MODEL THAT SHOULD BE 
AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. UNCLE SAM'S FORAY INTO THE REGION WILL 
CONTINUE TO HAVE REPERCUSSIONS THAT WE CANNOT BEGIN TO 
ANTICIPATE." LEACH